Machine and process for stretching webs



Oct. 22, 1929'. s, DWI H v 1,732,968

' MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR STRETCHING WEBS Filed on. 29/1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JINVENTJOR.

BY v I Z A TTORNEYJ:

Oct. 22, 1929. s, DW T 1,732,968

MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR STRETCHING WBBS Filed Oct. 29, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY? Patented Oct. 22, 1929 i RUSSELL s. DWIGHT, or CINCI nT NATLOHIO "MACHINE AND Pnocnss non s'rnnronme WEBS Application filed October 29,

My invention relates to machines and proc esses for stretching webs, such as cotton batting and knitted and woven textile material and the like. I

5 There are many instances in the arts generallywherein great expense is incurred in setting up machines for forming webbing of different widths. Often many different sizes of machines are necessary, so that the manu- 0 facturer can satisfy the requirements of his purchasers.

It is the object of my invention to provide a process which will enable a manufacturer to make many less standard widths of webbing than have heretofore been required, and .to

quickly and easily vary the width of a preformed web by stretching the web as 1t is delivered from a machine, thereby allowing him to fill orders for special and unusual 20 widths.

It is further an object of my invention to provide a machine which will automatically stretch webbing at a desired stage in the manufacture thereof. It is my object to provide a machine which will be readily adjustable for making, by a stretching process, desired widths of webbing from webbing of lesser widths than those desired.

The above and other objects to which reference will be made in the ensuing disclosure f accomplish by that certain process and combination and arrangement of parts in a machine of which I have shown a preferred modification.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of my preferred type of web stretching machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of a web showing the manner in which I distort the fabric of the web to extend it to a desired width.

Figure is a sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 in Figure 3.

The machine diagrammatically illustrated has a supporting frame 1 on which is mounted an axially fixed rotatable shaft 2 and a par-' allel axially adjustable rotatable shaft 3.

.Each shaft has in spaced position thereon a 1928. Serial No. 315,731.

series of discs 4 which may be secured on the shaft with hubs 5. The shaft 3 is mounted in bearings 6 in pivoted arms 7, one on each side of the machine frame. The arms 7 are pivotally mounted as indicated at 8, and a seg-' ment casting 9, which has a bearing end 10, may be used to bear against the arms 7','thereby swinging the arms and carrying the axial position of the shaft 3 to a desired position with relation to the shaft 2.

The web of material WV to be stretched is passed between the shafts 2 and 3' substantially parallel therewith. Each disc distorts the web in the manner which I have indicated in Figure 3. The material is thus stretched asv desired. By increasing the distance between the axes of the shafts, the discs will be carried into a less staggered or overlapping arrangement and the stretching will be less. Inversely, when the axes of the shafts are brought closer together, the depths of the grooves into which the material is distorted becomes greater, and the web is stretched an increased amount.

The segment with which the axial position of the upper shaft is determined may be provided with a series of apertures 11 into which pins may be extended to thus fix the position of the segment. An arm 12 is secured to an eccentric shaft 13 which, when the arm is s iifted, bears against the pivoted arms 7 While the particular construction which I have suggested is one practical way of adjusting the position of the shaft 3, other mechanical devices for adjustably mounting the shaft 3 will immediately suggest themselves for mounting the shaft 3. All that is essen-' tial is that the shafts 2 and 3'shal1 be relatively adjustable so that the discs may be moved into more or less overlapping staggered arrangement.

I The shafts 2 and 3 have respectively sprockets 14, 15 mounted on them, which may be driven by chains such as are indicated at 16, 17. The driving sprocket 18, which may be rotated from some suitable source of power, may be used for driving the chains. Since the distance of the center of the driving sprocket from the center of the shaft 3 does of the Web need not be held at all, so that I have not illustrated anyparti'cularedge'con trolling devices as the particular device used,

after all, forms no part of my invention, and

I do not Wish to be limited to any specific device.

I'have found that the more disc-'like'and the more acute the edges'of the discs are, the'more each disc Will serve to stretch and hold the Web in stretched position, thereby avoiding thebnecessity of controlling the edges of the We .2

The greatestaccuracy maybe obtained in stretching webbing laterally in the manner which I have described, For example. if I use twelve inch discs and mount the shafts ca'rryingthe discs 12 inches apart, the Web will pass between the discs Without being stretched at all. -If I then adj 'ust the position of thc'shafts so that they are onlyten inches apart for each setof discs on the shafts'the material Will be stretched three inches per set.

Referring, forpurposjes of'example, to the diagram in Figure Let us assume that the Web to be stretchedis eighteen inches Wide. If the shafts have five" sets of discs-0n them, the discs beingstaggered on three inch centers, the Web will be stretched from eighteen to thirty inches and the stretching Will occur evenlyacross the \vholewidth of fabric.

If, for'example, the distance apartof the edges marked a, min Figure 3 iseighteen inches, then the portions marked 6, b will be six inches, the portions marked '0, 0 Will be six inches, and the altitude of thetriangles 6,0, I), or 0, b, 0 will correspond tothe four inches whi'cl'lthe shafts 2, 3, have been moved together.

'Mgyprocess' is particularly effective in avoiding undue stretching onsome parts of the Web, as I distort the material in evenly distributed bands. It will be obvious that such a stretchingproccss Wlllbe preferable tosany system of stretching which consists in pulling apart the outer borders of "the Webbin I faving thus describedmy invention, What I claim iasnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is':

A "Web lst retching machine comprising a fixedsh aft having spaced annular members and'a'n adjuj'stable shafthaving annular members spaced to overlap in staggered relation the" annular members of said fixettshaft,

' means for mountingsaidadju'stablc shaft in is mounted at the center of the arc of movec ment of said adjustable shaft. 7

RUSSELL S. DWIGHT. 

